Valve gear for internal-combustion engines



Au qzs, 1923. 1,466,144

P. W. MURPHY VALVE GEAR FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 24; 1918 FIG 1 had to the accompanyin OFFIC PETER MURPHY,- OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNQR TO THE MURPHY ENGINEER- ING COMPANY, 01 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A. CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

VALVE GEAR FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed June 24,1918. serial in. 241,658.

To all whom a! may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER W'. MURPHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county, of Wayne, State of Michigan have invented a certain new and useful lmprovement in Valve Gears for Intermil-Combustion Engines, and declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference beinq drawings, whic form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to valve gears for internal combustion engines of a. rotary type in which the longitudinal axes of the cylinders are parallel with the central driven shaft and in which reciprocation oi the pistons in the cylinders causes rotation of the shaft, and a particular object of the invention is to provide a valve gear controlled by rotation of the central shaft and provided with a manual means whereb a set ofi either the intake or exhaust v vcs may be manually controlled to release the compression produced in the cylinders and to allow a ready manual rotation of the shaft. These several objects and the novel features of the construction of the invention in its preferred form are hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings in whch Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of an engine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the manual means for controlling operation of the valves.

As will be readily understood the engine comprises a series of cylinders 1 arranged in a circle about a central shaft 2 and preferably the engine embodies two sets of cylinders oppositely disposed as indicated in Fig. 1, the second set of cylinders 3 being arranged similarly to the series of cylinders 1 and the piston rod of the piston in one cylinder, as indicated at 41, is fixedly con nected with the piston rod of the opposite cylinder in the group 3. These are centrally connected to a sliding member 5 having rollers 6 thereon positioned on opposite faces of a central cam member 7 fixed to the shaft 2. The explosion in one cylinder drives the the cam member and shaft. The cylinders as indicated clearly at the left of Fig. 1 are each provided with an intake valve 9 and an exhaust valve-10 reciprocably ositioned in a head provided for the c lin ers andcontrolling theintake manifo d 11 and exhaust manifold 12 respectively. These valves are preferably sprin closed as shown and on the head for each cy inder is positioned a bracket 13 in which is pivotally mounted a lever 14 for 0 rating the stem of the valve 9 and a similar lever 15 for operating the stem of the valve 10.- These levers are each provided with rollers 16 and the central drive shaft 2 is provided with what I have termed a split cam having corresponding members 17 and 18 having oppositely arranged faces so that at the time of opening the intake valve by reason of the lever 14 and roller thereon riding on the high part of the cams 18 or 18, the exhaust valve is closed by reason of the roller on the lever 15 engaging the low part of the cams 1.7 or 17.

The several cylinders of the engine are each provided with the intake and exhaust valve and operating levers therefor, and, by rotation of the cam members with the shaft 2, the said levers and corresponding valves of the several cylinders are successivel operated. These levers, as will be readily understood from the drawing, are

each provided with portions contacting the end of the valve stems and movement of the levers by the cams controls the opening and closing of the valves. In an engine of this type a. large number of cylinders may be employed in each series and under such condition it is diflicult to i'rianually rotate the shaft 2 to introduce the initial charge by reason of the high compression developed in the several cylinders. To relieve the cylinders from compression 1 have made one of the cam members as for instance, l8 controlling the intake valves at each end of the engine slidablo on the shaft- 2 as will be understood from Fig. 2. The cam members 18 and 18 at each end of the engine are slidably keyed to the shaft while the companion cam members 17 are fixed from movement longitudinally or rotatably relative to the shaft. To operate these slida-ble cam members during operation of the engine I have formed the shaft with a central bore 19 sufiiciently large to allow a rod 20 to freely pass therethrough. The shaft is pro vided at one end with an enlarged recess 21 in which is slidably positioned a, cylindrical member 22 to which the rod 20 is secured preferably being threaded therein. This cylindrical portion 22 terminates in a ball end 23 and I have provided a lever 24 pivotally mounted in any convenient manner relative to the engine bed or bracket thereon, and this lever is rovided with a socket 25 for the said ball end 23. By operating the lever, the member 22 and rod 20 may be rethereof. As will'be understood from Fig. 2 the shaft is provided with apertures 26 and 27 extending transversely therethrough and pivotally mounted in the recess 26 is a pair of pivoted levers 28 having oints 29 normally engaging the inner fiat face of the cam 1.8. The rod 20 terminates in a disc shaped member 30 which may be secured thereto in any approved manner, and the inner ends of the levers 28 engage the face of this disc member 30 as shown so that by pulling on the rod 20 through operation of the lever 2d, the disc member 30 turns the levers 28 on the pivots forcing the cam member 18 outwardly longitudinally of the shaft and thus turns the levers 14 controlled by the camface of the member 18, on the pivots therefor against the tension of the valve springs opening the valves and holding the same open by reason of the positioning of the cam member 18. Under this condition no compression may take place in the cylinders and the shaft 2 may be freely rotated while the valves controlled by the other cam member 17 or 17 are operated in the usual mannor There are two sets of valves for the two series of cylinders and, therefore, the

cam 18 at the opposite end of the shaft and near the lever must necessarily be operated in the same manner as described with the other cam member 18. For this purpose I have provided pins 31 extending through opposite sides of the cylindrical member 22 and through the surface of the shaft through till the aperture 27 therein. These pins engage against the inner face of the cam member 18 and on operating the rod and cylindrical member 22 the said second named cam member 18 is moved longitudinally of the shaft simultaneously with and in a direction reverse to that of the other similar cam member 18. Thus upon one movement of the lever both cam members are moved longitudinally in opposite directions on the shaft and both sets of cylinders are freed from compression simultaneously.

The lever 24 may be provided with a notched se ment if desired, (but not here shown). n any event on release of the cam members, which have been moved in a manner described, both the cam members 18 18 are returned to normal position clprocated in the shaft during revolutionme ias through operation of the springs on the valves which will turn the levers 14 on the pivots and move the valve to normal position where it is continuously held by the pressure exerted by the sprin It is evident that by this arrangement li oth series of valves may be readily operated manually even during operation of the en ine. to release the compression in the cylin ers and by a means that a simple and inexpensive form and admirably adapted for the purpose.

Having thus briefly described my invention what ll claim isp 1. In an internal combustion engine, a main shaft, sets of opposed cylinders circularly disposed around the shaft, pistons for the cylinders, a driving connection between the pistons and the shaft adapted to cause rotation of the shaft, a head common to the cylinders of each set provided with an intake and an exhaust passage each in communication with a compression chamber of the cylinders, an intake valve for each cylinder controlling communication between the intake passage and cylinder, an exhaust valve for each cylinder controlling communication between the said cylinder and exhaust passage, a valve operating member for each set ofintake valves and a valve operating member for each set of exhaust valves, both of said members being on the main shaft and controlling the operation of the valves for each cylinder in succession, and means for moving one of each of said valve operating members to simultaneously open the corresponding set of valves.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a

main shaft, a series of circularly arranged cylinders disposed around the shaft, pistons for each cylinder, a driving connection between the pistons and the shaft adapted to cause rotation of the shaft, a head common to the said cylinders provided with an intake and an exhaust passage each in communication with the compression chamber of the cylinder, an intake valve for each cylinder controlling communication between the intake passage and cylinder, an exhaust valve for each cylinder controlling commu nication between the cylinder and exhaust passage, a cam rotatable with the shaft controlling operation of the intake valves, a second cam rotatable with the shaft for op erating the exhaust valves, and means for moving said first cam longitudinally of the shaft to cause simultaneous operation of the valves controlled thereby.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a main shaft, sets of opposed cylinders circularly disposed about the shaft, pistons for the cylinders, a driving connection between the pistons and shaft adapted to cause rotation of the shaft by reciprocation of the pistons, a head common to the cylinders of each set provided with an intake and an exemma a valve adapted to open the valve by rotation of the cam, a second disc like cam member, a pivoted lever for each exhaust valve engaging the said second cam member whereby rotation thereof causes operation ofthe said valves, there being a set of cams for each .set of cylinders, said main shaft having a longitudinal bore, a rod positioned therein, means on the rod whereby the movable cam of each set may be actuated by movement of the rod longitudinally of the shaft.

4. In an internal combustion engine having a series of circularly arranged cylinders, a centrally disposed shaft, pistons in the cylinders, means whereby reciprocation of the pistons causes rotation of the shaft, springcontrolled exhaust and intake valve for each cylinder, 8. disc like cam member opening the intake valves in succession,asecond cam member similar to the first cam member and adapted by rotation to open the exhaust valves in succession in timed relation with the opening of the intake valves, the two cam members being secured to the shaft in'a manner to rotate therewith, the member for the intake valves being splined to the shaft, manual means for moving the first said cam member to hold all the intake valves open simultaneously, the said springs of the valves causing movement of the cam member to normal position upon release of the said manual means.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a main shaft, sets of opposed cylinders circularly disposed around the shaft, pistons for the cylinders, a driving connection between,

the pistons and the shaft adapted to cause rotation of the shaft, a head common to the cylinders of each set provided with an intake and an exhaust passage each in communioation with a compression chamber of the cylinders, an intake valve for each cyllinder controlling communication between the intake passage and cylinder, an exhaust valve for each cylinder controlling communication between the said cylinder and exhaust passage, valve operating members controlling the operation of the valves for each cylinder in succession, and means for moving one of said valve operating mem-- bers to simultaneously open the corresponding set of valves.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a main shaft, a series of circularly arrange-d cylinders disposed around the shaft, pistons for each cylinder, a driving connection between the pistons and the shaft adapted to cause rotation of the shaft, an intake and an exhaust passage, an intake valve for each cylinder controlling communication between the intake passage and cylinder, an exhaust valve for each cylinder controllin communication between the cylinder and exhaust passage, a cam controlling opera- .tion of the intake valve a second cam for operating the exhaust valves, and means for moving said first cam longitudinally of the shaft to cause simultaneous operation of the valves controlled thereby.

In an internal combustion engine, a main shaft, sets of opposed cylinders circularly disposed about the shaft, pistons for the cylinders, a driving connection between the pistons and shaft adapted to cause rota tion of the shaft by reciprocation of the pistons, an intake and an exhaust passage, a spring controlled intake valve for each 0 linder controlling communication between e intake passage and cylinder, a spring controlled exhaust valve for each cylinder controlling communication between the exhaust passage and the cylinder, a cam member, a pivoted lever for each intake valve adapted to open the valve by rotation of the cam, a second cam member, a pivoted lever for each exhaust valve engaging the said second cam member whereby rotation thereof causes operation of the said valves, there being a set of cams for each set of cylinders, said main shaft having a longitudinal bore, a rod positioned therein, means on the rod whereby one cam of each set may be actuated by movement of the rod longitudinally of [the shaft. v l

8. In an internal combustion engine having a series of circularly arranged cylin-, ders, a shaft, spring controlled exhaust and intake valves for each cylinder, a disc like cam member opening the intake valves in succession, a second cam member similar to the first cam member and adapted by rotation to open the exhaust: valves in succession in timed relation with the opening of the intake valves, manual means for moving the first said cam member to hold all the intake valves open simultaneously, the said springs of the valves causing movement of the cam member to normal position upon release of the said manual means.

9. In an internal combustion engine having a cylinder, a shaft, pistons and intake piston, end means to move the com along the shaft to ceuse the com to o n the valve on the compression stroke of t e piston.

11. In an internal combustion engine, ve sheft, cylinders nrallel to end around the shaft, pistons For the cylinders, intake velves, o cam on said shaft to open said valves on the intake stroke of the piston and means to move the cam longitudinally of the shaft to cause the cam to open the valves on the compression stroke of the pistons.

12. In en internel combustion engine,

neeenee shnft, cylinders I rellel to and around the shaft, pistons or the cylinders, intake valves, e cam on said shaft to open said valves on the intake stroke of the piston and manually controlled means to move the cam longitudinally of the shaft to cause the cem to open the valve on the compression stroke of the pistons.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specificotion.

PETER W. MURPHY. 

